Pumpkin Spice Cake

I have the most vivid memories of my dad helping my sisters and me carve pumpkins when we were younger. We would have a chance to think up designs, then we may attempt to cut out the stem-part of the pumpkin before our dad took over with his giant “pumpkin carving knife.”

Well, a few years ago I decided to try carving a pumpkin all by myself. And let me tell you: it was a lot harder to follow the guidelines I had drawn on the pumpkin as I cut out the two circular eyes! It didn’t help that I had decided to make my pumpkin Harry Potter themed, so I had the thin lightning-bolt scar to deal with as well.

In the end, I grabbed a small steak knife and just shaved away at the scar until the lighting-bolt was wide enough for light to adequately shine through!

What did I learn from this whole experience? I’m a lot better at baking pumpkin flavored things than carving actual pumpkins!

For example, this Pumpkin Spice Cake is infinitely better than my sloppy Harry Potter Pumpkin was a few years ago. In fact, it was approved by my 89 year old grandad, one of my sister’s best friends, and my mom 😉 As well as myself… I must admit that I ate two of the slices the minute I frosted them.

But I don’t feel one slice (see what I did there? 😉 ) of guilt! Because each slice is only 74 calories!! That means you could eat three slices of cake for only 222 calories!

While three slices of normal cake would total over 1000 calories! (Maybe even 2000, depending on how thick your slices are.)

How on earth could a cake this moist, sweet, and decadent be only 74 calories? It turns out pumpkin is good for more than just decorating your porch come Halloween! It gives the cake a wonderful moistness, making up for the lack of butter or oil completely, and complements the spices in the recipe perfectly. It’s like a pumpkin spice latte, in cake form. (Also, can you believe that three slices of this cake has 78 less calories than one Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte?!)

Frosted with cream cheese icing, this cake becomes even more decadent, and is undeniably the perfect taste of fall. Enjoy it with a mug of coffee at work or bring it to Thanksgiving dinner, this cake won’t fail to impress and satisfy! (Ps. it’s also gluten free!)

So if you’re like me and completely incompetent with pumpkin-carving knives, never fear- you can still dazzle all your friends with this decadent, guilt-free pumpkin spice cake!

Pumpkin Spice Cake

1 c gluten free flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c honey (or maple syrup, agave)

2 eggs

1 c pumpkin puree

1/2 c cream cheese icing

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add dry ingredients to a small bowl and mix together. Combine we ingredients in another bowl. Pour dry into wet and stir until smooth. Lightly grease an 8″x8″ glass pan. Pour cake batter in and smooth with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.